You mean something like the time the light went on about cutting raw peppers from the inside and not on the slippery outer skin? That was one for me many years ago. I had always cut them as my mother had.

There was a little book published a number of years ago, Trucs of the Trade. It was filled with little trucs (tips) like that.

Yes, I always cut them skin side down! The Pampered Chef lady on Saturday kept saying to do it skin side up and I really had to fight the urge to say something... not that it's wrong, but just so much easier!

Maybe not wrong but a little dangerous, that skin is slippery and that maks it easier to cut yourself. Speak up next time!

It is arrogant but I have been tempted at some demos to take the knife away and say "do it this way, it is faster and easier." Only tempted but, I'd sure like to do it especially when they are demoing for a group and clearly are making a process more arduous.

I've discovered that using my silicon pastry brush as a table implement is wonderful when I want to brush melted butter or other fat on an hot ear of fresh corn. It's the perfect tool for this purpose.

Until a few years ago I had tried several times to make lyonaise potatoes -- you know, potatoes and onions. Always lousy. Potatoes weren't cooked, onions burned or both. Never bothered to look up a recipe. I mean, how hard can it be to cook potatoes and onions? Finally decided maybe I'd just sneak a peek in an old French cookbook I have. It says to cook the potatoes and onions separately, and only combine at the last moment. Of course. This way you can get the potatoes perfectly browned and the onions nicely carmelized. Duh.